The prior art has mainly focused on the functional service of securing bedding, including a mattress cover, to the mattress to provide for healthy and convenient use. To this end, several methods and means were developed that would stabilize the fitting of bedding to a mattress when a person lies (and moves) on the bed and prevent the bedding from slipping off the mattress and thus maintain it more or less in a spread position.
One solution for this problem is the use of specialized mechanical fasteners, such as springs, clamps, and the like, as taught by Reaser in U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,518; Knebel III in U.S. Pat. No. 6,108,837; and Schieberl in U.S. Pat. No. 6,295,670 B1. The disadvantage of such mechanical fasteners is that they are not integral to the bedding system and add unnecessary expense. Furthermore, being specialized, they require extra effort to operate.
Another solution for this problem has been the use of elastic bands sewn or otherwise attached to mattress covers or other bedding, such as fitted sheets, as is taught by J. W. Whitley in U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,555 where an inelastic mattress covering is used with an elastic underskirt, in order to provide the desired fastening of the cover to the mattress. As is well known to those skilled in the art, elastic bands have the disadvantage of losing their elasticity after periods of repeated use and therefore become ineffectual in firmly attaching bedding to mattresses.
Yet another alternative to the problem of securing bedding on mattresses is the use of hook-and-loop fastening means, such as Velcro®, generally in the form of bands or strips sewn or otherwise attached to bedding. For example, Auburn in U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,292 teaches the use of strips of Velcro® material to secure in place various bedding elements, including a cover and a sheet, to a toddler's molded cot. Lepow in U.S. Pat. No. 5,008,966 teaches positioning a bedsheet having an elastic band partially around its perimeter onto a foam sofa bed mattress and fixing it into place with two strips of Velcro® material. These prior art have the disadvantage in the use of Velcro® material in a limited way for simply holding bedding in place. Lepow has the further disadvantage in the use of an elastic band, as mentioned heretofore.
Lewis in U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,184 teaches a “fitted top and bottom bedsheet combination” used with a mattress “to facilitate securement of the top sheet with respect to the mattress” using a Velcro®—covered underportion of the bedding. The top bedsheet has “lateral extensions” which are simply tucked under the mattress to keep it in place, but not necessarily in a fixed or taut position. There are also “gatherings or pleatings” in the material which “facilitate some bunching”.
Ainsworth in U.S. Pat. No. 3,965,504 teaches a bedding assembly that stays together comprising bedding “disposed in stacked, non-slip relation and releasably interconnected” through zippers or, alternatively, Velcro® strips to minimize rearranging bedding over the mattress every morning after use. The mattress cover is attached to the mattress by elastic bands or rings at the four corners allowing for some freedom of movement of the mattress cover material and, consequently, ruffling of the interconnected bedding attached to it by the fastening means.
Gilreath in U.S. Pat. No. 4,040,133 teaches a bedding attachment system which uses “a section of Velcro® material . . . positioned on the edge of waterbed mattress adjacent each corner”. Gilreath's system provides for holding the bedding to the mattress only on the four corners of the mattress so that there is “relative movement of the mattress and bedding”.
Thus there is a need for                Facilitating the smooth spreading of all bedding items on the mattress in a fixed and taut manner;        Preventing unwanted separation of bedding items from the mattress;        Enabling bedding to be fixed in position, and held tautly on a mattress;        Preventing the need to stretch and fasten the bedding repeatedly;        Improving the quality of the sleep, on well stretched and tightly set bedding;        Facilitating the laundering of fitted bedding; and        Facilitating the orderly folding of bedding items for stowing them away.        